The wreck of the German cruiser Koenigsberg remains at the site of her 1914 sinking in the Rufiji River Delta in present day Tanzania. By 1950 the ship had slid onto her side in the deep mud of the delta. The last photograph of any above-water section was taken in 1965, and the wreck is now completely buried in mud. Relics from the Koenigsberg are now scattered across East Africa and other parts of the world.

Photo of the author, 2005

"Before the bombardment, Koenigsberg was the most lovely old city," Karla Poewe's mother once said. She described the elegance of the Pregel River as it meandered along beautiful old buildings steeped in history…